The human excretory system functions to remove wastes such as carbon dioxide, water, salt, urea and uric acid from a human body. Ammonia is a nitrogenous waste formed from the breakdown of protein within the human body and is a highly toxic chemical. Ammonia is converted to urea and uric acid by liver and transported to kidneys for excretion purposes. The kidneys pass the urea and the uric acid out of the human body in form of urine. The urine is a watery solution of waste products, organic compounds, urea and uric acid.
Sometimes, the human body fails to excrete urine which may pose a life threatening problem. Inability of the human body to excrete urine may be due to various reasons, which include but are not limited to, a blockage to the flow of the urine, an inability of a urinary bladder to perform regular excretory functions, effect of an accident on the excretory system, and effect of a medical procedure on the human excretory system. The inability of the urinary bladder to empty the urine therein can result in a buildup of urine, which may induce backpressure in the kidneys and in turn may result in kidney failure.
Medical science has made several attempts to address the problem relating to the inability of the human body to voluntarily pass urine out of the body. One such attempt is a bodily mounted fluidic connection system that helps to drain the urine out of the human body. One of the most widely used fluidic connection systems is a urinary catheter. Typically, the urinary catheter is a hollow, flexible tube used to drain the urine from the urinary bladder. Generally, the urinary catheter is inserted into urinary tract through urinary meatus of a patient. An end portion of the urinary catheter extending outside the human body is attached to a bag for collection of urine. The urine is drained from the urinary bladder by the aid of the urinary catheter and is collected in the bag. However, the urinary catheter may be subject to movement within the urinary tract due to various reasons, such as movement of the wearer or the weight of the bag attached to the urinary catheter. The movement of the urinary catheter within the urinary tract may lead to medical complications which includes but are not limited to, urinary tract infections, and damage to the urethra or bladder. Further, medical research has shown that the urinary tract infections are the largest single group of healthcare associated infections.
To address the above, attempts have been made to immobilize the urinary catheter in the urinary tract. The most common practice for reducing movement of the urinary catheter in the body of a patient includes attachment of the portion of the urinary catheter that extends outside the body, to a leg portion of the patient with the help of a securement device or tape. However, the attempts to secure and immobilize the urinary catheter within the urinary tract have not been successful with respect to anchoring the urinary catheter because of the increased likelihood of the urinary catheter slipping from the securement device or the tape.
Accordingly, there exists a need for immobilizing movement of a bodily mounted fluidic connection system such as a urinary catheter, in a human body.